Walking and Talking

A friend, fellow cynic and "stirrer of the pot" pointed me towards this article today:

http://tinyurl.com/br6ufwe

I have been a fan and admirer of Henry Rollins since my teens. I don't always agree with him, sometimes he is bitter and raw, but he is always thoughtful, brilliant and unafraid to speak his mind. What I hear him saying is that we are failing our young men in that we would rather let them loose on a sea of media and machismo then take the time to instill the values that would make them into men rather than "dudes", and citizens rather than self-centered consumers and power-seekers.

There are lessons missing in their lives that say they can be athletes as well as scholars and gentlemen. They can be emotional and have a healthy sexual identity without objectifying, vilifying or fearing those of other gender or sexual orientation.

These two men were rapists. They made the choice to do what they did regardless of what they were surrounded by. But they were most likely horribly cheated out of all the things I just mentioned.

Now what?

We can complain about parents, teachers, and the media until we are out of breath but in the end what does that really change? Until the men (and women) chose change, real change, nothing is going to happen. I live my life every day as an example of what I believe is right and good to my fellow human beings. If that makes me a role model to my sons, daughters, and all the young people I have a chance to influence then great, but in the end its all about trying to follow the Bard and to mine own self be true.

If you're going to talk it then you gotta walk it.

Rock on Rollins.

ADHD Sucks

ADHD is not a joke.

It is not a "senior moment".

It is not a matter of "I'd lose my head if it wasn't attached", or "I'm such a spaceshot today, must be  the ADD."

Every day, all over the web, especially on places like Facebook, people rant and rave and rally in the name of justice and equality. They support human rights issues, LGBT issues, issues of class and race and gender equality. But through all this, ADHD remains a joke to so many people. It's sickening to think that an estimated 12% of the world's population (Yep, the numbers are that high. That's 1 in 8 people folks) are a laughing stock to people that claim to be so enlightened and politically correct.

If you think having an "ADD moment" sucks, try living with them your whole life. Every day. Without exception. Think about having to be medicated just to focus enough to get through simple tasks that are vital to a persons existence or having to create coping mechanisms so you don't end up locked out of your house every week when you forget your keys. Think about struggling with your job, your relationships, and your sense of self-worth because you can't regulate your emotions. The list goes on.

Sounds pretty awful, doesn't it?

Trust me. It is.

ADHD sucks. MY ADHD sucks, and I actually consider myself one of the lucky ones. At least I have some clue as to what the hell is going on with me. I often suffer in silence, but so many others suffer in silence without people in their lives that support and love them. Did I mention that I consider myself one of the lucky ones?

So the next time you'd like to to chuckle and blame your little shortcomings of mind or memory on ADD, give some thought to those people whose lives are often overwhelmed by their little shortcomings.

I feel much better now.

This rant has now concluded.

Feel free to go about your business.